Shi Huangdi Impact On Society

“It is up to us to live up to the legacy that was left for us, and to leave a legacy that is worthy of our children and of future generations,” said Christine Gregoire. Since the first civilization was created, various cultures have been leaving lasting legacies around the world. From the plains of Qin China to the mountains of Rome and Byzantium, leaders have risen and fallen and have left their impact on both their own and other societies. Due to the nature of human society, small groups and powerful leaders have made a lasting impact. Because they have the ability to reshape history as they wish, they have made daunting choices that have affected millions of people that have changed the scope of their region and possibly the world.

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Throughout his rule, Shi Huangdi undertook conquests in order to unify China under the Qin banner. However, behind the scenes, he was doing much more than that; he made sure he had absolute control over the people. For instance, according to Minnesota State University of Mankato’s EMuseum article Qin Dynasty, the “state had absolute control over the people, and the former nobility lost all of their power.” (6) Shi Huangdi’s unafraid character and nature ensured that he had absolute control over the people; he would involve himself in the minutiae of the assurance of direct control. Furthermore, his choice to remove the nobility ensured that his rule would be truly Qin and all of China would know it. The nobility may have been a small group, but it held a majority of the power, and Shi Huangdi knew that. His decision to revoke their rights as if they were peasants assured China that anyone could be punished; no one was safe and Shi Huangdi was in control of all of it. Similarly, the close aides and assistants had the same mindset; they were just as eager to cement themselves into power. Li Si, the Grand Counselor to Shi Huangdi, boldly remarked, “I humbly propose that

For hundreds of years, the Roman Empire was a prosperous nation with a stable and growing population. However, the years were not kind to the empire, and it fell into disarray. One of the reasons for the fall had to do with the Germanic invasions. Herff Jones Education Division’s Nystrom Atlas of World History, an atlas depicting many stages of world history, shows the fracturing of the Roman Empire between 350-476 AD. In particular, it shows the many attacks on Rome, specifically when in 410, the “Visigoths attack Rome,” and in 455, when the “Vandals attack Rome.” (2) The strength and recurrence with foreign invasions showed Rome’s soft underbelly and weak defense. Rome’s dysfunctional nature invited the Visigoths and Vandals to have a taste of glory, and their abuse of that ruined the possibility of an Italian power. Due to Rome’s overextension of power, many other tribes took advantage of this, one example being the Anglo-Saxons in England. Additionally, Roman leaders allowed this to happen; emperors like Diocletian and Constantine favored the Eastern Roman Empire due to its stability and strength. According to Steven Kreis, the creator of The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History, he states, “As western Europe fell to the Germanic invasions,